Below you will find helpful and relevant articles that we carefully curate for the benefit of our B.R.A. Retail Members almost every day. Be sure to scroll through the most recent article or use the Search/Lookup feature to find topics and keywords related to articles that may help you to lower costs, increase margins or create more remarkable customer experiences.
by admin | Feb 24, 2025 | Artificial Intelligence / CHAT GPT, Brick & Mortar, Resources, Retail Technologies
Artificial intelligence (AI) is no longer just a buzzword—it’s becoming an essential tool for brick-and-mortar success. I recently wrote about the dangers of some of the tools being deployed to frontline staff creating Retail’s AI Taskmasters. This...
by admin | Feb 22, 2025 | Brick & Mortar, Consumer Behavior, Point of Sale, Resources, Retail Economy
Wanamaker’s Department Stores is generally credited with being the first retailer to price its products ending in 99 cents rather than rounding it up to the next dollar. Legend or reality, we do know the practice has become the foundation of most retailers’...
by admin | Feb 16, 2025 | Brick & Mortar, Customer Experience, Customer Service, HR, Resources, Retail Strategy, Sales Training, Staffing
What to do when your retail employees are standing around during those quiet store moments?Sure, you’re fine with them taking a quick breather after dealing with a demanding customer or wrapping up a task. We all need that. But there’s still that line...
by admin | Feb 14, 2025 | Brick & Mortar, Customer Experience, Event Planning, Holiday, Industry, News, Retail Strategy, Skate Art, Skateboard
As Skate Shop Day approaches, here are five reasons to support your local skate shop. Supporting your local skate shop is one of the most important things you must do as a skateboarder. Artist Henry Jones has a beautiful breakdown of his top five reasons...
by admin | Feb 12, 2025 | Brick & Mortar, Commercial Real Estate, Industry, News, Retail Economy, Retail Strategy, Surf
ecker Surfboards in Malibu may be closing, but in its wake shop manager Mitch Taylor sees an opportunity to open his own business. Malibu‘s had a rough go lately, and the Chapter 11 bankruptcy of Liberated Brands isn’t helping. Caught in the downward spiral of the...
by admin | Feb 8, 2025 | Brick & Mortar, Community, Consumer Behavior, Generations, News, Retail Strategy
Which generational cohort has big middle-child energy? Enter the least discussed generation of all, born between 1965 and 1980, Gen X is dubbed “the Sandwich Generation” because they’re sandwiched between infamous baby boomers and equally infamous millennials. Gen X...
by admin | Feb 4, 2025 | Brick & Mortar, Local Search, News, Opinion, Retail Strategy
Credit: iStock.com by Marko Geber In today’s world, mega-retailers have changed the way we shop. They offer same-day delivery and auto-shipment and sell cheaper versions of popular brands. Because of this, consumers now expect faster, easier transactions. Yet,...
by admin | Jan 30, 2025 | Apparel /Fashion, Brick & Mortar, Customer Experience, Customer Service, HR, News, Retail Strategy, Sales Training
Sales staff have a valuable role to play in connecting with customers. (Shutterstock) Differentiating the in-store experience is key to reigniting demand for in-person shopping, according to the BoF-McKinsey State of Fashion 2025. Brands can achieve that by empowering...
by admin | Jan 26, 2025 | Community, Industry, News, Seasonal Products, Snowboard
Please and thank you. Photo: Ikon Pass It’s been a lovely January for many parts of the West: clear and cold. But those regions sitting on healthy snowpacks received little, to no snow during the month. But winter is about to make a serious return as forecasters...
by admin | Jan 24, 2025 | Industry, News, Opinion, Retail Economy, Skateboard
A young skateboarder riding in front of the Ferry Building on the Embarcadero in San Francisco California.Adam Hester/Getty Images This first appeared in the Planet Money newsletter. You can sign up here. “The Skateboarding Ethic and the Spirit of...
